The weather has been so terrible round these parts for running lately (too hot! Too rainy! Too flooded! Where's the Goldilocks 'just right' weather gone??) that I have been getting my running fix other ways, including from the sofa...by buying loads of new running clothes in the online sales. I find I often just buy loads of basically the same thing, so that when one is in the wash I have another to hand. Only now I have about another twenty to hand. Anyone get obsessed with their favourite running gear like that?? Please tell me it's normal.
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Happy running!
Sqkr & roseabi
XXX
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Sqkr
Half Marathon
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It does seem to be a good idea to get the good stuff while you can, so I think you're ok 😊😊😊
I am feeling rather pleased with my performance over the past week. Been in and on the sea, have increased my long run without Achilles detriment, and best of all I am now able to do two pull-ups in a row, yay me 😄💥
Happy running, resting, and cross-training everyone!!! xxx
p.s. I've got a lot of visitors this week, so my presence on HU may be somewhat sporadic...
Dangling's a good start! Work on your lats strength with some dumbbell rows and pullovers, work on your grip with reverse bicep curls. And do negative pull-ups - jump up or step off a chair so that you have the bar level with your chest, then slowly lower yourself down.
Hello, got me cuppa tea at the ready. Bit lukewarm by now though cos I spilled it and had to run off and get bog roll and do a swift desk clear job to prevent drawers full of builders. Bah!! Just when you want a bit of calm. Tut!
Anyway, where was I. Yes, running Gear. Double bah!!! I ordered shorts, on doctor's orders, as she says I have to expose more of my flesh to the sunlight because of my newly-diagnosed psoriasis. So, not being backwards at coming forwards running gear wise, i duly sent off for many-pocketed marathon shorts and matching vest. They sent two pairs of shorts though, and in the wrong size. I have just had to return them and pay for the privilege. Sigh.
Running going well though (touches wood). Loving the new Nike Run Club app and the loads of coached runs on there. Going through them like a dose of salts. You just match a coached run to the distance you have to run against their plan. A marathon plan in my case
It's long runs at the weekends now and I'm doing them ok so far. 19.5 km planned for this weekend I have one of Nike's speed tests on Wednesday and then a strength session on Thursday. Not bad for a free app Mind you the fitness stuff was a faff, trying to hold a phone and do the moves. I'm sure I've got it wrong and I should be seeing it on the telly via youtube or something
Ugh returns at your own expense are the worst! Do you ever use PayPal? I'm quite suspicious of it as a whole but they offer a number of (think it's fifteen) free returns a year if you use them to pay for goods, which made me a whole lot more keen to get on board! I've done it twice now, and they are true to their word and reimburse you without question as long as you get a postal receipt. I had to do it to return the nicest of my injinji socks when I accidentally got the size for giant man feet a month or so ago 😔 Still sad about that, they were a lovely colour.
I never knew this about PayPal and free returns, I shall look into it! I also love my injinji socks, such a game changer. I do think I am due some new ones, any decent sales out there?
After a really tiring first week of holiday running, everything seemed to come together last week. I managed my longest run ever here on the Isle of Wight (20 km), and am hoping to run even further tomorrow.
I’ve caught up with the lovely aliboo70 several times, including at the fun Bembridge Trail 5 mile race yesterday.
I’ve also bought some new gear - a pair of Brooks Ghosts, to vary the pressure points on my feet.
I ran up to bembridge via the coastal path from Yaverland, up bembridge and Culver Downs. I stopped at Node Point and refuelled and had a loo stop at Baywatch on the Beach cafe. I took loads of photos Tea, burger and chips back at Yaverland and a dip in the sea as I was filthy (i fell down) 😊
I was going further but I lost the path at the camp site at Node Point and ended up running about in a field, so decided to head back Those dunes were beautiful. Forgot what they’re called ☺️
The coastal path was well marked and it was easy to follow til Node point where I lost it. I’d gone far enough though So was happy to head back
Culver and bembridge downs are steep but I was running down them on the way back. Yeeeeeehah 🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️ I need to get back there to run the rest of the coastline.
Good for you! My husband is a lazy get so won’t walk hardly anywhere We did travel a lot by bus but it’s hardly the same You see so much when you’re walking
After my run I raved about the coastal path I’d taken so he agreed to walk half of it with me the following day and then we came back on the bus. We had lunch at the crab shack where we dashed to escape the rain which had just started 🦀🦐🦞.
He did walk quite a long way on the day I chose to go to the garlic farm for the day It was quite easy along the course of the old railway line which handily finished behind our hotel
Well my week has been a “ game of two halves” as the footballers say.
Started well on Monday with a nice little 5k trot, then revved myself up on Thursday and did 18k but frightened myself a bit by getting really dizzy when I got home and nearly passed out about 4 times. Even though I had taken water and apricots and gels....
So I thought I’d take a couple of days off and run on Sunday ...
But No 3 son had other ideas !!!! He dug a pond in my front garden when he was at school- about 14/15? And it had one of the solid shaped liners in. Well just recently it has kept going down dramatically, had to keep topping it up, and after first putting it down to the weather we realised it must have finally perished and it was leaking.
They don’t make things to last do they? It was only 26 years old!!🤣🤣. So we have spent the last couple of days digging out a bigger pond, having relegated the fish ( and frog) to a large tub in the garage with an aerator running. It is a whole slab wider (45cms) and a bit longer and now square so quite a bit bigger. Then we were digging out the lily of the valley roots and also some black leaved grass that was growing all around the edge. And then crawling round inside it laying underlay and levelling it out and then battling with the thick rubber liner ( which obviously was way too big and has to be cut to size and then trying to make “hospital corners” with thick rubber was really fun!!
And then while he was building a new cat proof mesh frame to go over it-Our cats are lethal!! - I decided to cut all the hedges and then remove a whole jasmine bush that was taking over one corner of the garden.
Can I count that as cross training 🤣🤣??
Consequently I didn’t run till this morning and then only 4K. Bit disappointed as I usually try to run 3 times a week and only managed 2 last week but I haven’t been sitting on a couch honest ! 🙄
Gosh that sounds exhausting! I'd rather run all day! 🤣🤣
Are you really asking me about running gear 😂😂😂 where do I start? I do prefer my summer capris to my winter leggings, and I seem to have a creeping increase in Lonely Goat Running Club gear. And as for my new starry Lucy Locket Loves leggings, don’t get me started. I spend more time deciding what to wear to run than for an evening out - and all just to get sweaty and red in the face.
I'm quite regimented with my gear. I have a neatly pile folded and ready to go of sets i.e. socks, shorts, underwear and t-shirts all set out and ready to put with earphones and mobile on the sofa the night before a run.
This week is carrying on with speed challenge and distance challenge. Though not too many Kms at this time of year for me. Having to adjust run days, but this might mean I can do a full adult park run for the first time in about 2 years!!
Popped do to the chiropodist today as I was passing, regarding my toe nail hanging off. It’s got a hinge of healthy nail so a bit tricky It won’t lie flat now either so its getting annoying
As she was booked up for months she told me to remove it off myself by snipping away at it to good nail and then sanding and buffing it smooth.
She was ever so nice and had a good look at it, although she did have a patient being patient 😃. She loved my running shoes and was dead Impressed by the massive toe box on my Altra’s . Biggest toe box she’d ever seen 😁. she said it was a positive from a podiatry point of view. Pity I wasn’t wearing them when I traumatised the nail 🤷♀️
Glad I popped in 🙂. Got a hill race in 1st September so it’s got time for the new nail underneath to harden
I'm considering another pair of run trainers. I have 12 mm drop on some Brooke's GTs adrenaline. I wonder if a lower drop would be better as I don't heel strike. I find them a bit clumsy. I'm resisting the urge for more running clothes, but I have been looking. Maybe some compression socks in a funky colour.....
Hi. Ohhhh well you have to make the most of your time whilst stuck in doors.
I'm a bit like Whatsapp and like to organised with my kit!! I used to keep it in the main bedroom, but a while ago I reallocated it all to the spare bedroom - so I can just get up and go on a morning sometimes without disturbing Mr Deals. I have 3 drawers - one for bottoms, and one for tops, with the 3rd for current stuff ie warn before ! (yep!! I normally don't wash my kit after every wear and try to use a few times, unless in a really bad state!! am I bad?!?! ) this drawer also has some nice smelly soaps in it and I keep CLEAN underwear in there so I'm ready to go!! My 3 jackets are hanging up in the spare wardrobe and I have a container full of 'stuff' - gloves, earphones, buffs, hat, lights etc...... (and another container for cycling stuff!) Plus on the wall is the start of my medals collection... As I'm typing this I'm thinking I'm taking over the spare room , slowly! pus the drawers are getting fuller and I may need to expand!!
I'm still just kind of building up to HM distance, slowly and in my own time. Got a 10K event on Sunday so I'm looking forward to that one
Happy running and speedy recoveries for those on the couch
Well, after my almost trip last Weds eve I was happy to achieve 9/8.5/14.8 miles last week given we had mum-in-law until Friday eve. No adverse effects thankfully.
Trying to schedule in at least three this week with the longest being 18 or so... was playing with potential marathon+ routes in the locality and came up with a 30 miler. Promptly laughed... but saved it. Figure I might explore it piece by piece before I decide if it's doable. Many were footpaths that may well be impassable. 🤔
My week has been exhausting it seems. I was oncall at the weekend and limited in my activities but managed a fab bbq at the neighbours and sorted an adoption celebration cake. But I needed to run (climbing the walls as rest of family were away as well as being oncall) so I went out very locally for approx 8km on sunday. I felt quite tired and sluggish but my pace was actually ok at 6.37min/km. Felt so much better afterwards. On Monday I planned a shorter run with hill repeats but my long run day later this week is now about packing and sending pets away for our holiday. So monday became a planned 10-12 mile run, back to back with sundays run. I did 10 miles in the heat and decided that was enough. You see I have horrendous horsefly bites and swelling on my achilles/lower calfs and they felt like they were pulling the calf muscles especially on hills. So now I have 2 weeks abroad so it will be shorter runs. BUT when i come back I only have 2 weeks before the new forest hm, will I have done enough training??
Anyway, regarding kit has anyone tried out the injinji compression toe socks? Are they worth the money?
I've got the liners, trail socks, crew and another. Not sure if any are technically compression. I do like them but don't always use them. They're more suitable for my right foot than left. I use the liners most with casual shoes as a kind of recovery treat for my feet.
Oh, I also ordered a new, very expensive, higher capacity hydration vest. I've been using the Salomon Agile 2 and have been increasing the capacity from 1 to 2 litres by cramming a bladder folded over into the kangaroo pouch at the back. The new one, Salomon Adv Skin 12 will give me 3 litres, 2 in back and 1 front plus space for a layer come colder days. I may even be able to squeeze another soft flask in somewhere. I want to keep going longer but that definitely means more fuel and fluids... I hope it's worth the money...
This last week was a mixed bag. Pushed a bit too hard earlier in the week, running Mon, Tues and Wed. Tues was supposed to be a rest day but it was such a beautiful day and I went out anyway and also pushed hard on pace (again, beautiful day and temps🙄), and so the Wed intervals were more challenging than they needed to be. Took Thurs and Fri off to reset and joined our large group run on Saturday across the city for a LSR. I worked it into my mara plan long run of 24k (just a little shy of it but close enough). Being more sensible this week, running longish but slow on Monday with a few group friends on some trails, got a little lost along the way but it was fun. Took today (Tues) off and just have intervals tomorrow. My intermittent body strength work is slowly getting more regularly ingrained and feels a bit easier now too. Going up north soon with the fam for a bit on a short vacation to Tobermory and Manatoulin Island. There look to be some stunning trails there and if I have time I will squeeze in a couple of morning runs and a family hike or two. 🌲 ☀️ 🏔
Highlight of my running week was helping my eight year old nephew complete his first parkrun. He was completely awesome and ran the whole way! He has a lot of problems with his behavior, especially at school, but he was just brilliant the whole way round. I think he probably experienced more praise from adults during that half hour of running than he has in the whole of the last year.
When we finished he said he'd like to do it every week but unfortunately I don't think they'll be anyone willing to run with him (I live in a different town). Makes me a bit sad to think that those who could benefit most don't always have access to it.
The school holidays afford me many more opportunities to run so I'm having to be mindful not to do too much. Did 12 miles on Sunday partly on the Beachy Head course and a 9 mile club run last night. Will hopefully do Efforts tomorrow night then parkrun Saturday to complete the week 😁
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